3 Hidden Benefits of Partnering With a Virtual Assistant

Most small business owners go it alone—for a while. Unless you had investors or an initial cash reserve to launch your venture with, you probably spent (or are still spending) all of your free time, money, and energy working because you haven’t felt you could afford an employee. If you’re finding yourself burned out, behind on tasks, venturing into uncharted territory, and neglecting your personal and family needs, it’s time to partner with a virtual assistant! Virtual assistants can actually save you time and money, making it possible to grow a successful business without neglecting your personal life or becoming exhausted. In previous blog posts, we’ve discussed the big reasons why you need a virtual assistant and how partnering with one can strengthen your foundation and help you focus on the big picture; this week’s blog outlines 3 hidden benefits of partnering with a VA that you may not have considered.

1. More Family Time
High-earning CEO’s aren’t the only ones missing their kids’ baseball games and birthday parties—many devoted small business owners have sacrificed important family events because of deadlines and endless task lists. It’s not just the biggies, either: most entrepreneurs work well over 40 hours per week—in the UK the average is 52 hours per week, and there’s been speculation that small business owners in America log 60-70. While the work DOES need to get done, the cost of devoting this much time to your work can be enormous. Partnering with a virtual assistant allows you to delegate tasks and projects so that you have more hours in your week to devote to your family. Plus, many VA’s are so experienced and efficient that they’ll get work done in half the time you would, saving you time and money!

2. Stress-Free Vacations
Vacation simply isn’t vacation if you’re working, period! You work very, very hard and deserve to turn of your phone and ignore your email on vacation. But let’s face it: if you’re the only one working for your business, you simply won’t be able to. If you haven’t had a day off in months—or years—give yourself a break by partnering with a VA, even if it’s just for a few weeks during your vacation so that you can truly rest and enjoy yourself. Besides, what’s the point of paying for a vacation that you’re just working through?

3. Room for Self-Care
When you’re the boss—and the sole employee—there’s no one to take your place if you get sick, have to schedule an appointment at the dentist, or if you need to take a “personal day”. Despite the glamorous idea of working for yourself allowing for a super flexible, open schedule, many entrepreneurs find that they’re putting in far more than 40 hours per week and working through things like illnesses and family emergencies—until they get help, that is! Even if your virtual assistant only works for you a few hours a week, she can serve as a second set of eyes and hands to get work done when you need a sick day or massage. Additionally, partnering with a virtual assistant will give your schedule more of that open, flexible feel that likely helped attract you to entrepreneurship in the first place. (Tip: make sure your business has a procedure manual in place so that your VA can pick up a task last-minute if necessary!)

About Jennie Lyon

Jennie Lyon is the founder of Jennie Lyon Virtual Assistant Services. Jennie specializes in helping busy entrepreneurs organize, manage, develop and promote their brand! She is devoted to helping small business owners and entrepreneurs with social media, content creation, email marketing, client relations, website management, and administration services. If you are a small business owner, coach or self-employed entrepreneur struggling to find enough time in your day to focus on what you really love - schedule a free 15 minute consultation with Jennie. www.JennieLyon.com